Equity and Access: Outcomes Count

"Equity and Access in Mathematics Education"
was the subject of an EXTEND Roundtable held on May 16, 1996 at the
Charles A. Dana Center for Mathematics and Science Education at the
University of Texas at Austin. This Roundtable provided a forum for
teachers, administrators, employers, educational researchers, and
university faculty to discuss equity and access in mathematics education
in the context of rapidly changing state and local policy. This is the
second in a series of reports summarizing sentiments that emerged from
this Roundtable.

Outcomes Count

At the heart of America's debate about affirmative action is the question
of objectives: is the goal of equity to be equality of opportunity or
equality of achievement? Many people argue, as a matter of fairness, that
everyone deserves an equal chance but not an assured outcome.
Participants at the Austin roundtable emphatically go further. For them,
outcomes are what count.

"To think that providing equal opportunity is good enough," said one
industry participant, "is a good way to lose your job. No one is going to
give you an A for effort. That's not good enough. Industry needs
results." To compete in the international arena, industry participants
argued, Texas needs an effective, productive work force. And to maintain
a viable economy, Texas must develop fully the diversity of the
state--especially since diversity is a real asset in international trade.
"The future of Texas depends more on how we educate all students in the
state than on any other single factor."

Other business representatives agreed. "We need to show students how
mathematics and science courses are meaningful, appropriate, and
applicable for business. Business needs a work force coming out of the
schools that meets the demands of international performance. Graduates
must have greater skills in mathematics and be able to understand how
these skills relate to their jobs."

But business is not the only voice arguing for accomplishment rather than
effort as the new standard of equity. In Texas, the courts have suggested
that their review of the effectiveness of a new system of school funding
will be based not just on whether it provides substantially equal funds,
but also on whether educational outcomes are more equitable. A mathematics
professor at the Roundtable argued for outcomes that assure that "every
person will be a productive member of society." Even superintendents and
school boards are beginning to focus on outcomes as a means of
establishing accountability in the educational system.

Roundtable participants returned repeatedly to two issues that must be
changed in order to achieve equitable outcomes: beliefs and
expectations.

First is the belief that every child can be successful in mathematics. It
is not enough to say that for some success means algebra, while for others
success means percentages. As one participant noted, "Success means
nothing less for all than what I would expect for my own child."

In particular, we need to be sure, as one participant noted, "that at the
end of twelve years of school, students will be able to make their own
decisions about career paths--that their choices will not have been
predetermined by limitations imposed by the educational system." A high
school teacher echoed this sentiment: "We are not doing nearly as much as
we could for most students when we still have mathematics courses that
lock people out rather than invite them in."

A second problem is the invidious character of statistics and
labels. By describing results in terms of groups--low scores
in high poverty areas, high scores in predominantly white
suburbs--we unwittingly endorse different expectations for
different groups. "People hide behind labels--low SES, high
ESL, etc.," said one teacher. "This makes it easy to be
satisfied with the status quo. Until someone challenges that
thinking, the attitude will just go on and on."

Stereotypes are reinforced by racially and socially segregated mathematics
classes--slow classes for students of color, advanced classes for Asians
and whites. One African-American teacher at the Roundtable complained that
"all the black kids end up in my classroom. Think what that does to the
kids self-esteem! We need leaders who will stop such practices." Although
students can and do succeed in these classes, virtually all of them emerge
with strengthened beliefs in destructive stereotypes.

Courses such as "slow algebra" and "pre-calculus" were cited by
participants as examples of how the educational system perpetuates
failure. Studies show that very few students who take these courses go on
to succeed in advanced mathematically based courses. Because weak prior
schooling has left many minority students underprepared, enrollments in
these transitional courses are disproportionately minority. An
outcomes-based system would insist that these courses accomplish their
objectives--of preparing students for further study in
mathematically-based fields. But a system built on excuses just continues
to grind out course credits and grades that mean virtually nothing in
either the academic or business marketplace.

Participants agreed that in order to attain equal outcomes for students
who have had unequal experiences, it will take special effort for those
who need the most help. "Students who have grown up in an environment
where they learn how to decode the hidden priorities of the educational
system move through school with a significant advantage. As educators, we
have a particular responsibility for those who do not arrive at school with
these special advantages."

To add your voice to this discussion, e-mail comments, letters, and op-ed
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